Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Lateral Molar Approach-Driven Transoral Endoscopic Procedure for Benign Infratemporal Fossa Tumor Resection
Published on: August 15, 2025
Facial talon in mandibular incisor: An unusual occurrence
Prasanna Kumar Rao1, Rohan Mascarenhas, Shishir Ram Shetty
1Departments of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Abstract:
Talon cusp, also known as an eagle's talon, is a dental anomaly that occurs on the lingual aspect of teeth commonly, but occurrence on the facial aspect has rarely been reported. It is an extra cusp on an anterior tooth, which arises as a result of evagination on the surface of a crown before calcification has occurred. The incidence of talon cusp on lingual side is less than 6% and is even lesser on the facial aspect. Commonly involved teeth are maxillary incisors, usually unilateral but in some instances bilateral. The classical radiographical feature of talon cusp is double teeth appearance. The anomaly has been reported to be unusual in the mandibular dentition and extremely rare on the facial aspect. We report one such extremely rare case of facial talon cusp in mandibular central incisor.
Related Concept Videos
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
